Swimming

From MeritBadgeDotOrg

This is the Swimming merit badge for Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers.Webelos Scouts can earn the Aquanaut activity badge.Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts can earn the Cub Scout Swimming belt loop and pin.

Contents

Swimming is a leisure activity, a competitive sport, and a basic survival skill. Scouts who earn this badge will learn about safety when swimming and diving, how swimming can contribute to overall fitness and health, and gain some basic competitive swimming skills

Swimming merit badge requirements

There are new requirements for this merit badge. From Jan 1, 2014 to Dec 31, 2014, Scouts may begin working or continue to work on the Swimming merit badge using either the old or the new requirements -- it's the Scout's choice. From Jan 1, 2015, Scouts who had already started work using the old requirements may continue using them, and all Scouts who hadn't yet started must use the new requirements.

b. Discuss the prevention and treatment of health concerns that could occur while swimming, including hypothermia, dehydration, sunburn, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, muscle cramps, hyperventilation, spinal injury, stings and bites, and cuts and scrapes.

Before doing the following requirements, successfully complete the BSA swimmer test: Jump feet first into water over the head in depth. Level off and swim 75 yards in a strong manner using one or more of the following strokes: sidestroke, breaststroke, trudgen, or crawl; then swim 25 yards using an easy, resting backstroke. The 100 yards must be completed in one swim without stops and must include at least one sharp turn. After completing the swim, rest by floating.

Swim continuously for 150 yards using the following strokes in good form and in a strong manner: front crawl or trudgen for 25 yards, back crawl for 25 yards, sidestroke for 25 yards, breaststroke for 25 yards, and elementary backstroke for 50 yards.

Do the following:

a. Demonstrate water rescue methods by reaching with your arm or leg, by reaching with a suitable object, and by throwing lines and objects. Explain why swimming rescues should not be attempted when a reaching or throwing rescue is possible, and explain why and how a rescue swimmer should avoid contact with the victim.

b. With a helper and a practice victim, show a line rescue both as tender and as rescuer. The practice victim should be approximately 30 feet from shore in deep water.

Do the following:

a. Float faceup in a resting position for at least one minute.

b. Demonstrate survival floating for at least five minutes.

c. While wearing a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard–approved life jacket, demonstrate the HELP and huddle positions. Explain their purposes.

d. Explain why swimming or survival floating will hasten the onset of hypothermia in cold water.

In water over your head, but not to exceed 10 feet, do each of the following:

a. Use the feet first method of surface diving and bring an object up from the bottom.

b. Do a headfirst surface dive (pike or tuck), and bring the object up again.

c. Do a headfirst surface dive to a depth of at least 5 feet and swim underwater for three strokes. Come to the surface, take a breath, and repeat the sequence twice.

Following the guidelines set in the BSA Safe Swim Defense, in water at least 7 feet deep*, show a standing headfirst dive from a dock or pool deck. Show a long shallow dive, also from the dock or pool deck.

*If your state, city, or local community requires a water depth greater than 7 feet, it is important to abide by that mandate.

Explain the health benefits of regular aerobic exercise, and discuss why swimming is favored as both fitness and therapeutic exercise.

7.b. Demonstrate your ability to jump feetfirst into water over your head in depth, level off and swim 25 feet on the surface, stop, turn sharply, resume swimming, then return to your starting place.

7.c. Demonstrate water rescue methods by reaching with your arm or leg, reaching with a suitable object, and by throwing lines and objects. Explain why swimming rescues should not be attempted when a reaching or throwing rescue is possible, and explain why and how a rescue swimmer should avoid contact with the victim.

9.b. Before doing the following requirements, successfully complete the BSA swimmer test.

Jump feetfirst into water over your head in depth, swim 75 yards in a strong manner using one or more of the following strokes: sidestroke, breaststroke, trudgen, or crawl; then swim 25 yards using an easy, resting backstroke. The 100 yards must be swum continuously and include at least one sharp turn. After completing the swim, rest by floating.

9.c. With a helper and a practice victim, show a line rescue both as tender and as rescuer. (The practice victim should be approximately 30 feet from shore in deep water).

Demonstrate survival skills by jumping feetfirst into deep water wearing clothes (shoes, socks, swim trunks, long pants, belt, and long-sleeved shirt). Remove shoes and socks, inflate the shirt, and show that you can float using the shirt for support. Remove and inflate the pants for support. Swim 50 feet using the inflated pants for support, then show how to reinflate the pants while still afloat.

Swim continuously for 150 yards using the following strokes in good form and in a strong manner: front crawl or trudgen for 25 yards, back crawl for 25 yards, sidestroke for 25 yards, breaststroke for 25 yards, and elementary backstroke for 50 yards.

Do the following:

a. Float faceup in a resting position for at least one minute.

b. Demonstrate survival floating for at least five minutes.

c. While wearing a properly fitted personal floatation device (PFD), demonstrate the HELP and huddle positions. Explain their purposes.

d. Explain why swimming or survival floating will hasten the onset of hypothermia in cold water.

In water over your head, but not to exceed 10 feet, do each of the following:

a. Use the feetfirst method of surface diving and bring an object up from the bottom.

b. Do a headfirst surface dive (pike or tuck), and bring the object up again.

c. Do a headfirst surface dive to a depth of at least 5 feet and swim underwater for three strokes. Come to the surface, take a breath, and repeat the sequence twice.

2. Racing form for 25 yards on one competitive stroke (front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, or butterfly)

3. Racing turns for the stroke that you chose in 8b(2), OR, if the camp facilities cannot accommodate the racing turn, repeat 8b(2) with and additional stroke.

4. Describe the sport of competitive swimming.

Following the guidelines set in the BSA Safe Swim Defense, in water at least 7 feet deep, show a standing headfirst dive from a dock or pool deck. Show a long shallow dive, also from the dock or pool deck.

Do the following:

a. Explain the health benefits of regular aerobic exercise, and explain why many people today do not get enough of the beneficial kinds of exercise.

b. Discuss why swimming is favored as both a fitness and a therapeutic exercise.

c. Write a plan for a swimming exercise program that will promote aerobic/vascular fitness, strength and muscle tone, body flexibility, and weight control for a person of Scout age. Identify resources and facilities available in your home community that would be needed for such a program.

d. Discuss with your counselor the incentives and obstacles for staying with the fitness program you created in requirement 10c. Explain the unique benefits that could be gained from this program, and discuss how personal health awareness and self discipline would relate to your own willingness and ability to pursue such a program.